crawl

¹crawl

verb \ˈkrȯl\

Definition of CRAWL

intransitive verb

1

: to move slowly in a prone position without or as if without the use of limbs <the snake crawled into its hole>

2

: to move or progress slowly or laboriously <traffic crawls along at 10 miles an hour>

3

: to advance by guile or servility <crawling into favor by toadying to his boss>

4

: to spread by extending stems or tendrils <a crawling vine>

5

a : to be alive or swarming with or as if with creeping things <a kitchen crawling with ants>

b : to have the sensation of insects creeping over one <the story made her flesh crawl>

6

: to fail to stay evenly spread —used of paint, varnish, or glaze

transitive verb

1

: to move upon in or as if in a creeping manner <all the creatures that crawl the earth>

2

: to reprove harshly <they got no good right to crawl me for what I wrote — Marjorie K. Rawlings>

Examples of CRAWL

1. Does the baby crawl yet?
2. We got down on our knees and crawled through a small opening.
3. The baby crawled across the floor toward her mother.
4. The soldiers crawled forward on their bellies.
5. The snake crawled into its hole.
6. They're doing construction on the road, so traffic is crawling.
7. I worked late into the night, and it was 2 a.m. before I finally crawled into bed.
8. The bus crawled along the rough and narrow road.
9. The days slowly crawled by.
10. Work on the project has crawled to a standstill.

Origin of CRAWL

Middle English, from Old Norse krafla

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CRAWL

Synonyms

belly, creep, grovel, slide, slither, snake, worm, wriggle

Antonyms

fly, race, speed, whiz (or whizz), zip

Related Words

crouch, squat; edge, inch, nose; skulk, sneak, steal, tiptoe

Near Antonyms

float, glide, sail; hurry, tear

Rhymes with CRAWL

all, awl, ball, bawl, brawl, call, caul, doll, drawl, fall, gall, hall, haul, kraal, mall, maul, moll, pall, pawl, Saul, scall, scrawl, shawl, small, spall, sprawl, squall, stall, tall, thrall, trawl, wall, yawl

²crawl

noun

Definition of CRAWL

1

a : the act or action of crawling

b : slow or laborious progress

c chiefly British : a going from one pub to another

2

: a fast swimming stroke executed in a prone position with alternating overarm strokes and a flutter kick

3

: lettering that moves vertically or horizontally across a television or motion-picture screen to give information (as performer credits or news bulletins)

Examples of CRAWL

1. Near the construction site, traffic had slowed to a crawl.
2. The bus was moving along at a crawl.
3. Her strongest stroke is the crawl.

First Known Use of CRAWL

1818

Other Broadcasting Terms

continuity, dissolve, fade, feed, remote, residual, spike, wipe